Agenda - 01-15-2008-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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0 • Customers don't have to choose • More variety for customers • Easier on County to have one group to deal with • Membership of unincorporated group voted on June 14 to stay unified. The meeting attendees then brainstormed reasons for why separate farmers' markets might be desirable, as follows: • Each follow our respective (different) vision • Each group is made up of people who hold different philosophies • Continued tension and disagreement can result in market not meeting the community's needs • Large group of members would leave the unincorporated group if the leaders from the incorporated group were to be a part of the unified group • Increased cost to vendors • Varying views of leadership • Neither group will relinquish their own group to join with the other • ,Two groups could be supported within Orange County (but not within Hillsborough alone) • Unincorporated membership expects a continuation of how Hillsborough Farmers' Market has operated. • Customers expect a continuation. • There are two different sets of customers: some of whom want continuity and some of whom want change. • There has been too much water under the bridge. The meeting attendees then talked in more detail about the ideas they had brainstormed. The mediator noted the following points: The unincorporated group would not have a paid market manager, and would be volunteer-operated. Therefore, its operating costs would be kept low. The unincorporated group does not believe that the incorporated group intends to keep costs minimal - it looks like the annual fee would be about $460 -and so is concerned about losing some artisans and crafters. The incorporated group envisions recapturing its operating costs through increased profits. At first, the choice appears to be between "growth" and "sleep." But the unincorporated group would not pose the differences in that way. The unincorporated group would describe. its values as including "small town," "community," "knowing each other," and "greeting and talking with customers." The incorporated group said that it too has those values, but seeks to increase the community involvement and customer volume from where it is today. Group members noted significant overlaps across the two groups' philosophies, but also suggested that an area of difference is "where the energy would be placed with respect to promotion." The incorporated group would promote a market for farmers that are bigger in economic scale, one group member said, while the unincorporated group would promote opportunities for "smaller, new farmers." A representative from the incorporated group said that he wanted to promote all farmers, regardless of size or scale. The difference Dispute Settlement Center of Orange County, Carrboro NC 2